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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30093240">No, Really</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jarl_Deathwolf/pseuds/Jarl_Deathwolf'>Jarl_Deathwolf</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Miraculous Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Has a Crush on Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Identity Reveal, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Identity Reveal, Oblivious Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Romantic Comedy, Studying, or at least he tries, they get there eventually though</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 21:55:04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,197</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30093240</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jarl_Deathwolf/pseuds/Jarl_Deathwolf</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Adrien can no longer deny it - he is in love with Marinette! The only problem is, she has made it absolutely clear that she is definitely not interested in him. But when he discovers that Marinette might be harboring feelings for Chat Noir, Adrien decides that there is only one way to get together with her: Reveal his identity.</p><p>Trouble is? She doesn't believe him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>482</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>No, Really</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello and welcome! This fic was written for the Totographs zine, which was publish for free <a href="https://totographszine.tumblr.com/post/645570117308121088/the-day-youve-been-waiting-for-has-finally">here</a> ! Go check it out, the wonderful Anna-Scribs even did some art of this fic in there!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Adrien was in love with Marinette. There was no getting around that any more. But, unfortunately, it didn’t seem that she felt the same way. </p><p>Ever since he had come to terms with his feelings, he’d been trying to flirt with her. A few cheesy lines here. Some lingering touches and eye contact there. Compliments scattered throughout the day. Although, as he had realized now, it was harder to compliment her <em>more</em> than he already had been. How had it taken him so long to figure out his feelings? </p><p>The worst part of it was that she even flirted <em>back!</em> Which may sound great, but his experiences with Ladybug had taught him that flirting back could also mean friendly banter. It was a frustratingly similar experience, which he chose not to dwell on too hard. </p><p>And just like with Ladybug, he was at least appreciating the friendship that he could share with Marinette. Now that she had begun to open up to him, he was learning all sorts of things about her. Her favorite foods, what exactly tickled her most, her little mannerisms. </p><p>One day he learned the most important little fact about Marinette of them all. </p><p>“What is it with you and crushin’ on celebs, girl?” </p><p>Adrien recognized Alya’s voice at once and his eyes widened when he realized who she was likely talking to on the other side of the locker. </p><p>Sure enough, Marinette let out an irritated groan. There was a sound of a locker opening. </p><p>“What makes you think I have a crush on him? Just because I drew him in my notebook—” </p><p>“Oh sure, if you were <em>just</em> drawing him, that’d be one thing. But the hearts and kissy faces tell a whole different story.” </p><p>Adrien stood stock-still, listening as intently as he could. It felt as if his heart had </p><p>stopped beating. Had he failed to win the hearts of both his crushes? Would he ever get a lucky break just for once? </p><p>“They weren’t—that’s—no! Those were …” Marinette sputtered and eventually mumbled something that sounded a lot like “spades.” </p><p>“Spades.” </p><p>“Shut up.” </p><p>“I’m just saying, girl, if you want I could probably mention your name the next time I see him. Sure it’d be harder to pull off than with blondie, but I’m down.” </p><p>“Drop it, Alya,” Marinette said half-heartedly. The locker door was shut and they walked toward the entrance. For a moment, he was scared they would turn around and see him eavesdropping. “I’m sure Chat Noir doesn’t want to have my number pushed into his hand.” </p><p>Adrien’s eyes widened as he suddenly jolted to life. Chat Noir? </p><p>“Maybe. We’ll only find out if we give it a shot.” Their voices got more distant as they walked away. “At least we know you’ve got a type now.” </p><p>“Alya!” </p><p>In his heart of hearts, Adrien hoped that type included boys with green eyes and blond hair. Would it be too much to ask that she fall for him a second time? Not just as Chat Noir but as Adrien?</p><p>It was there, standing alone in the locker room, heart pounding in his throat and feeling light headed, that Adrien was suddenly struck by a plan. And while he was no Ladybug, he was pretty confident about this one.</p><p>After all, he didn’t need to make her fall for him twice. She just needed to find out who Chat Noir was.</p>
<hr/><p>His first opportunity took way too long to arrive. The need to confess his secret identity to her had been weighed against his duty not only to Paris but to Ladybug. He was as certain of Marinette’s trustworthiness as he could be, but he needed to be sure that she and <em>only</em> she heard him.</p><p>Besides, it made confessing his feelings a little easier too, which was honestly weighing just as heavily on his mind. Sure, safety of Paris and fighting Hawkmoth and all that, but there was also his poor battered heart to take into consideration. Ladybug had been gentle with her rejections, but they still stung as much as being tossed into a wall by a dozen akumas.</p><p>It took over a month for a golden opportunity. The four of them had been studying in Marinette’s room when Alya had left to go babysit her sisters, taking Nino along with her. Adrien watched them slowly pack up and amble over to the trap door, silently screaming every time they stopped for another little chat. But eventually, they did leave. Nino’s cap disappeared below the floor and the trapdoor shut behind them. It was late enough that Sabine and Tom had gone to bed already, but not so late that Adrien would have to leave yet, at least not for a couple hours.</p><p>Swallowing against the suddenly dryness in his throat, Adrien looked at Marinette. All thoughts of the physics homework in front of them banished the moment he saw her tongue poking out the side of her mouth, her brow furrowed in concentration. </p><p>How could one person be so cute? </p><p>Her bright blue eyes flickered up at him. “Something wrong, Adrien?” </p><p>There wasn’t going to be a better time. It was now or never. </p><p>“Marinette … I’m Chat Noir.” </p><p>The sound of her pencil scratching along the paper stopped as she stared at her homework. There was a long moment of silence wherein Adrien silently panicked. After a few seconds that stretched into infinity, which Adrien spent praying that she would say something, <em>anything</em>, she finally spoke. </p><p>“Yeah, okay.” </p><p>She said it with a snort and a chuckle. It was like when he was experimenting with different jokes for her and he found one that didn’t quite land but didn’t completely fall flat. </p><p>She returned back to her homework, and the sound of the pencil resumed. </p><p>“Okay? That’s all you’ve got to say?” </p><p>“Um … I suppose I can add a ‘haha’ in there too? If it makes you feel better?” </p><p>“You’re not supposed to laugh!” </p><p>“Then it’s not a very good joke.” </p><p>“It isn’t a joke,” Adrien said, crossing his arms haughtily. This was not going how he had planned in the slightest. </p><p>Marinette raised an eyebrow as she sat up. “There is no way you are Chat Noir.”</p><p>“Why not? I’m cool!”</p><p>“Exactly, and Chat Noir is a massive dweeb.”</p><p>Adrien gasped, scandalized. “Take that back!”</p><p>“I will not. Besides,” she continued, raising her hand, “there are plenty of things Chat Noir is that you aren’t and vice versa.” She raised a finger for each point. “Chat Noir is loud, outgoing, with a sharp tongue, and he’s a flirt to boot. Plus the whole massive dweeb thing.” </p><p>“And what about me?” Adrien pouted, almost dreading the answer. “Adrien Agreste me, I should say.” </p><p>“You’re quieter, to start with.” There was a faint blush on her cheeks. Maybe it was easier for her to describe someone who she thought wasn’t present. “You’re considerate and kind and a perfect gentleman.” She smirked and chuckled. “At least, you usually are.”</p><p>Adrien put his hands together and brought them next to his lips as he took a deep breath. He was suddenly reminded of all the times he’d made reservations or tried to set up an account on some website under his own name, only to have it deleted because it “couldn’t possibly be actually Adrien Agreste.” By this point in his initial planning stages of confessing to Marinette, they were already organizing their first date between passionate spells of making out, not trying to determine if he really was himself. </p><p>But Adrien was nothing if not adaptable.</p><p>With a wide, toothy grin worthy of his alter ego, he leaned forward, putting himself dangerously close to her face. The faint blush she’d been sporting flared to life and spread across her entire face. Her eyes went large as he purred out a reply.</p><p>“What an unfortunate alley cat I am, baring my soul to a beautiful princess and she doesn’t even believe me. Whatever shall I do?”</p><p>“W-wow, you’ve … you’ve really practiced this, h-haven’t you?” She put on a brave face and scooted backwards. </p><p>“You could say that. You could also say I’ve got a <em>lot</em> of experience with the whole Chat Noir flare.” The smile became more genuine as he added teasingly, “And it looks like you think Chat Noir might be more than just a massive dweeb, hmm?” </p><p>“Y-yeah?” She got back some of her composure—not much, but enough to start bantering back at him. “And what else is he then?” </p><p>“A cool cat, maybe,” he said, tossing his hair and running a hand through it. “Or, even better, a fine feline.” He grinned and finger gunned at her. </p><p>Marinette snorted. “You’ve definitely nailed down some of that Chat Noir full-of-yourself stuff. Congrats on getting your research done at least.” </p><p>“Not research. Just living the life, Pigtails.” He waggled his eyebrows. </p><p>“Very creative nickname.” She smirked and crossed her arms. “Then again, it’s better than princess or my lady, so I’ll take it.” </p><p>“Hey now, Ladybug likes me calling her that, even if she tries to hide it.” </p><p>Marinette rolled her eyes. “Somehow I doubt that. But seriously, whose idea was this? It feels like Alya had a hand in this. I just know it.” </p><p>“Why would Alya get me to try to tell you I’m Chat Noir?” </p><p>“She never gives up on her ships is all.” Marinette’s eyes went wide and she threw her hands over her mouth. “Forget I said that!”</p><p>“But I—” </p><p>Her hands went straight for his mouth. “Forget!”</p><p>He held his hands up in surrender and she backed off.</p><p>“Come on, though. What’s so hard to believe about me being Chat Noir?”</p><p>“I just can’t see you and Chat Noir being the same person. You’re both so different!”</p><p>“Okay, first off—yeah, I can be quiet sometimes,” Adrien admitted. “But you’ve seen how I am with my friends, when I’m comfortable. I can be just as outgoing as I am in the mask!”</p><p>Marinette massaged her temples. “So what, you’re saying you have to be with close friends to be as confident as you are making terrible puns in front of all of Paris?”</p><p>“Well, the mask helps a little,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “After all, then I don’t have to think about how what I say will impact the company or get yelled at by my father. I get to just … be wild.” He gave her a timid smile. “I suppose sometimes I go a little overboard, huh?”</p><p>Her blush deepened. “Y-yeah. I guess you do sometimes.” She cleared her throat and schooled her expression back into a skeptical one. “Assuming you <em>are</em> Chat Noir, of course.”</p><p>“Of course.” Quietly, he added, “You know, Adrien me isn’t the only one who is ... kind. I’ve done it plenty of times in the mask.”</p><p>“I mean, yeah, you do the heroics and everything, but I was talking about something—”</p><p>“Gentler?” he said with his best Chat Noir grin, which made her eyes widen like saucers. His voice was still barely above a whisper. “Like when I comfort akuma victims or sponsor animal shelters?”</p><p>“I—yes, like that,” she admitted in the same soft tone. A little stronger, she poked his chest and gave a small smirk. “But don’t you think Ladybug will be mad that you revealed your identity? You promised not to do that, you know. Assuming you really are Chat Noir.” </p><p>“Maybe I should have asked her about it first,” he admitted, even as something tickled at the back of his mind. How did she know about the promises between them? “But I’m sure she’d understand if she knew. The value of love is something we both agree on.” </p><p>“I mean, I guess, but—wait, what?” </p><p>“And I suppose you’ve noticed how, no matter what side of the mask I’m on, I love to flirt with the person I love?” She gasped, but he just shook his head and laughed. “Finally get there? I mean, I’ve been flirting with you nonstop for like a month.” He smiled. “Maybe you and Ladybug should hang out. The everyday Ladybug and the real-life Ladybug. Both of you can be really dense when it … comes to … realizing … oh my god.” </p><p>Adrien saw the exact moment that she realized that he had figured her out. One moment she was watching him attentively. The next, her eyes had widened in panic, her pupils shrinking down to tiny pinpoints. He knew that if he did nothing, she’d start flailing her arms around and denying it. </p><p>The distance between them turned to nothing as he leapt toward her, laughing. She grumbled as he pulled her close, squeezing her tight against his chest, but she didn’t try to break free. </p><p>“Don’t be so proud of yourself. You only got lucky,” she said as she returned the hug. </p><p>“Luck or not, I finally found you … <em>my lady</em>.” </p><p>He looked down at her face at the same moment that she looked up into his. A moment laden with meaning passed between them before they both broke down laughing again. At long last, they had finally found each other.</p>
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